You want clean air? Odd-even plan not an answer, Mexico advises Delhi

As Delhi tries to figure out ways to combat toxic smog, there's a special advice coming all the way from Mexico.

Melba Maria Pria Olavarrieta, Mexico’s ambassador to India spoke exclusively to WIO-DNA saying that pollution can be combated but constant efforts are required. She said that engagement to tackle pollution cannot be episodic.

Known for her colourful official autorickshaw, Olavarrieta spoke extensively about anti-pollution drive.

“We are not here to give suggestions. We have worked on tackling pollution for 25 years, and we are here to share that experience. We did a lot of things like, like pushed all the industries out of the city limits, added catalytic converters in cars, changed type of fuel we were using. We buy about one million cars from India, and add catalytic converters in all of them. Ironically, the car I use here in India does not have any such device,” Olavarrieta said in an exclusive interview to WION-DNA.

She said that Mexico City has had a no car policy for a day in a week for over a year and it has worked.

“No Car Day was a civic programme. You have an odd-even programme for a week and you expect it to work. It cannot be like this. The effort to keep the air clean has to be a continuous effort,” she said. She said that there is a consensus in Delhi to improve the environment hence, something needs to be done.

She added, “Pollution affects the life of everyone - you, me, our children. Pollution brings problems for economy because you have to spend too much to improve the air quality. So, we need to have a long-term solution to the problem. Today we are talking so much about pollution because the air quality index has reached 800. In 10 days, when things will normalise, everyone will forget about this. This needs to change.”

Mexico has been battling pollution for years now. In 1992, the United Nations declared Mexico City the most polluted on the planet. It is said that Mexico City's air has gone from being among the world's cleanest to among the dirtiest.

"We always keep our children inside whenever pollution level reaches 150. I didn't have lead in my blood when I was young, but my children had. And this is serious," Ms Olavarrieta said.

"We asked school children about the colour of the sky. Eighty per cent of the kids said it's grey. The half of remaining 20 per cent said it's brown, and only the remaining said it was blue."

There was no respite from toxic smog and dangerously high levels of air pollution for New Delhi on Friday with residents complaining of irritated eyes and respiratory problems.

Pollution in New Delhi has been hovering at alarming levels with air quality readings of tiny particulate matter PM 2.5 hitting over 796 on Friday, the most severe level on the government's scale. A reading of anything over 100 is considered unhealthy.

PM 2.5 is particulate matter about 30 times finer than a human hair. The particles can be inhaled deep into the lungs, causing heart attacks, strokes, lung cancer and respiratory diseases.

Residents complained of headaches, coughs and smarting eyes. Many stayed home and restaurants in some of the city's most crowded parts were deserted.

Illegal crop burning in the farm states surrounding New Delhi, vehicle exhaust emissions in a city with limited public transport and swirling construction dust have caused the crisis, which arises every year. The problem has been compounded this year by still conditions, the weather office said.